1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to cable and hose management products and, more particularly, is concerned with a carrier link employing a removable channel-shaped crossbar with its opposite ends snap-fitted over and into recesses on a pair of cross-sectionally T-shaped protrusions that are attached to and project toward one another from opposite sidewalls of the carrier link.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Gleason Reel Corp. of Mayville, Wis., a subsidiary of Hubbell Corporation of Stonington, Conn., manufactures and sells various products which address the management of various cable and hose that power and control moving machines of all types. One particular product is an elongated carrier identified in the commercial marketplace by the registered trademark PowerTrak GRP. This carrier holds and protects the lengths of cable and hose but is sufficiently flexible so as to accommodate relative movements of the machine and parts thereof. This carrier is comprised of a plurality of links pivotally interconnected together so as to define a continuous longitudinal passageway through the carrier for receiving and holding the lengths of cable and hose. Typically, each link has a pair of sidewalls and a pair of crossbars vertically spaced apart and extending transversely between and interconnecting the sidewalls adjacent to opposite upper and lower edge portions of the sidewalls so as to laterally space apart the sidewalls. The pair of sidewalls of each link defines therebetween a segment of the continuous passageway of the carrier which is disposed end-to-end between the segments of adjacent links to comprise the continuous passageway. The pair of crossbars together with the pair of sidewalls define an opening therebetween within the passageway segment of the link. To be moved along the continuous passageway of the carrier relative to the carrier, the cable and hose together must have a cross-sectional footprint which will fit within the limits of such opening as determined by the spacing of sidewalls and crossbars of each link.
A problem arises with carriers of this general construction when the lengths of cable and hose have connectors or the like which are slightly too large to fit between the crossbars of the links. Such lengths of cables and hose cannot be fed, as desired, from one end to the other end of the carrier through the continuous longitudinal passageway thereof for their installation or removal. One approach taken in the prior art to solving this problem is to make one of the crossbars of each link removable so as to open one side of the passageway allowing the cable or hose to be removed from the carrier or installed into the carrier without disturbing the connectors at the ends thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,556 to Moritz et al discloses different embodiments of links with removable crossbars. In several of the embodiments, tubular crossbars of oblong configuration in cross-section fit at their opposite ends with similarly cross-sectionally shaped protrusions or recesses on the opposite sidewalls of the link. Some of these tubular crossbars have longitudinal slots which can be forcibly widened to facilitate removal of the tubular crossbars from the protrusions and recesses. In one embodiment, a cross-sectionally channel-shaped crossbar fits partially around the protrusions. The channel-shaped crossbar has a longitudinal groove extending externally along one leg of the crossbar to receive a screwdriver tip in order to remove the crossbar.
The approach taken in the different embodiments of links in the Moritz et al patent appears to be a step in the right direction toward solving the above-mentioned problem. However, the designs proposed appear to fall short of an optimum solution in terms of ease of use and materials and manufacturing costs. Consequently, a need still exists for an innovation which will avoid the problems of the prior art without introducing new problems in their place.